


With a Little Peace and Some Harmony

by rivlee



Series: Gone Are All The Days [27]
Category: Band of Brothers, The Pacific - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-18
Updated: 2012-09-18
Packaged: 2017-11-14 12:04:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/515049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rivlee/pseuds/rivlee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everyone’s trying to clear out of town for Babe’s birthday weekend. Part of the Modern!AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	With a Little Peace and Some Harmony

**Author's Note:**

> **Warning: Minor Character Death Mentioned.**
> 
>  
> 
>  **Disclaimer:** This is all fiction based off the characters as portrayed in the HBO mini-series. No disrespect or harm is meant or intended. Title from Hootie  & the Blowfish’ _Hold My Hand_.
> 
>  **A/N:** Unbeated. Completely ridic. Getting back into the swing of things.

The clinic took on a distinct feel when Doc Roe finally unchained himself from his desk and left. It wasn’t so much the kids acting up while daddy left; it was more just general relaxation. No one wanted to let Gene down. He’d put too much of himself on the line for this clinic, its clientele, and most of the employees. While Gene took into account their CVs, he relied more on instinct and observation. Everyone got a trial period; it took a special sort to serve a rural community and quite a few new doctors weren’t suited to the circumstances. 

After three failed attempts to get out of the clinic, Gene finally left with a quick wave and a grumble over birthday dinners. It was eerily quiet for the first minute until they saw the taillights of Gene’s truck disappear down the road. Renee leaned against the reception desk and smiled as everyone took a collective breath.

“Okay, my loves, break time. Then we do inventory so Eugene does not feel obligated to do it on his own when he returns. Anna, Sidney, and myself are attempting to maneuver him into taking the whole weekend off. Raphael has to leave for the conference in Baton Rouge this afternoon so we may be short-staffed. I hope we can all agree to refrain from calling Eugene unless it is absolutely necessary.”

“What if one of Speirs’ associates comes stumbling through?” Remy asked.

“They will head to the house first. I have asked Kitty to call me if anyone is passing through the area.” Renee clapped her hands. “Now, shoo. Go eat, smoke, text, whatever it is you require. Be back here in ten minutes at the absolute latest or there will be consequences.”

Renee laughed to herself as everyone dashed off. It was good to know they were all so well trained. She just hoped she could give Eugene and Babe this weekend. 

 

********************

“You feel like going to Texas, Sledge?” Snafu asked.

Eugene Sledge looked up from his textbook and tried not to show his frustration. Snafu could scent out annoyance and it was like throwing chum to sharks. It could only end in a feeding frenzy. Snafu was supposed to be sleeping; he’d worked until 2 this morning. He wasn’t supposed to be following Eugene around his college campus and keeping him from his research.

“Snafu, why would I feel like going to Texas?”

“Burgie and Flo are there. The girls too. I think it’d be a good thing to clear out this weekend, what with the planned events.”

“What events?”

“Heffron’s birthday, of course.”

That got Eugene’s attention. He didn’t know, no one had said anything. Babe certainly didn’t act like someone who had a birthday coming up. There was no talk of cake, party, or presents.

“He don’t celebrate it like most folk,” Snafu said. “Not anymore at least. Not since his boy Julian got shot. I don’t think he likes to be reminded of it, you know.”

“No, he probably doesn’t, Snaf.”

“I get that. Like to give him his space. Let him have his peace.”

“You? Seriously?”

Snafu sucked his teeth. “Don’t talk at me like that, Sledge. I may torture the boy but I ain’t evil. They’re certain things you don’t touch. That’s one of ‘em.”

It was moments like this that always got to Eugene. There were these little bits of Snafu, the caring part, the honestly decent parts, the _Merl-Francis_ parts that came out every now and then. It was the hints of Snafu before life and war wore him down. Those parts of a well-raised young man who still tried to abide by society rules. Eugene loved those hints even if they felt like a punch to the gut. He tried to imagine what it took to make Merl-Francis into Snafu and how high the cost was to Snaf’s own sanity.

It almost made Eugene want to cry.

“Does it bother you?” he asked.

Snafu looked up from his fingernails. “What’s that?”

“That me, Burgie, Leyden, even Ack-Ack and Hillbilly. We call you Snafu. Does that bother you here?”

Snafu shook his head. “Why should it? You know me as Snafu. I ain’t ever been Merl-Francis to you. You ain’t the Eugene that calls me that. You knew me as Snafu and Snafu I shall be.”

“I’d like to know you as Merl-Francis.”

Snafu grinned. “You drive me to Texas this weekend and maybe we’ll see.”

“Bribery, Snaf, really?”

“I ain’t never said I was a moral man.”

Eugene rolled his eyes. It wasn’t much, but he’d take it.

“Let me just drive back to the house and get a bag.”

Snafu threw Eugene’s car keys on the table. “Already did it. Hillbilly’s coming with us too. He’s walking Kip around campus right now.”

Eugene glared at him. “What would you have done if I said no?”

“I got my ways of persuasion.”

Eugene kind of loved and hated Snafu all at once. It was a constant state of his life these past five years and he had no clue what he’d do without it.

 

*******************

The crew at _Fitzwilliam’s_ decided that Babe’s birthday gift would be a weekend off. The sad part was he’d much rather be working. He felt in this element behind the bar, shooting the shit with the regulars as the time flew. He didn’t want the time off to think and it really, really, fucking sucked that Spina would be stuck in Baton Rouge at some convention getting all educated and shit. 

Ralph was finally taking those steps towards advancing his career. Babe was pretty damn proud of him. Just not this weekend when he had too many thoughts and what was turning out to be an empty house. 

Maybe he’d go bother Haldane for a bit. Babe could grade papers. How hard could it be? Unless they were those essay question tests and then Babe was fucked. He felt everyone deserved an A for Effort on that shit. 

Oliver hopped into Babe’s lap and laid down.

“Just you and me, bro,” Babe said. “Like every other weekday morning. What do you think, time for _Animal Cops_?”

Oliver kneaded Babe’s legs. He took that as confirmation. He’d learned how to interpret cat over the years. 

They were halfway through an episode of some lady who tried to make her cats vegetarians when the sound of crunching gravel echoed through the kitchen. Babe exchanged a look with Oliver and shrugged. They weren’t expecting company and Shelton said he’d be gone until Monday. 

“Holy shit, you’re home early,” Babe said when Gene hopped out of his truck.

“You say that every single time,” Gene said. He palmed the back of Babe’s neck in greeting. “I’m not that bad, am I?”

“Do you want to remind you of that time we didn’t see each other for a week?”

Babe leaned into the comforting touch of Gene’s magical hands. 

“We saw each other, we just weren’t both awake,” Gene said.

“That doesn’t make it better,” Babe grumbled. He eagerly met Gene’s lips, trying not to smile at the teasing bite Gene delivered. “Any particular reason you decided to play hooky?”

“Your birthday, jackass.”

“Watch the tone, princess.”

Gene slapped Babe’s ass as he passed by to the living room, dropping a trail of shoes, jacket, work bag, and scrub top in his wake. Babe just took a moment to admire the toned muscles working in Gene’s back as he leaned over to pet Oliver. Some sights never got old. Babe leaned against the kitchen table and watched Gene get comfortable in the living room. 

“Edward, we need to find you something other than _Animal Planet_ to watch.”

“ _Golden Girls_ doesn’t come on for another hour,” Babe said. He walked over to the fridge. “Do you want water or beer?”

“Water, it’s not even noon.”

“Have you met your best friend?”

“Don’t count for Merl-Francis. He works so many overnights that noon is like his dinnertime.”

“He is a creature of the night,” Babe agreed. He took his spot next to Gene, waiting only a second to eagerly crawl into his open arms. Gene pressed a kiss into Babe’s hair and squeezed his side.

“I know how you feel about your birthday. Taking that into account, this year we are doing absolutely nothing. Everybody’s going to clear out, excepting Sidney, of course.”

“He wouldn’t bother us anyway. He’s all proper Southern Gentlemen and shit. Those Alabama boys are something else.”

“Apparently money can buy breeding,” Gene said. “The boys think we’re having some sexcapades but we both need to work on Sunday. Renee knows the truth. Kitty’s rerouting our calls. Ron says it’s your birthday gift. The only ones he’s letting through are Bill and your family.”

“I’ll have to send him another bottle of whiskey.”

“He needs you to fly up next month to help Janovec on a job.”

“Not again,” Babe muttered. “Why does he set him up for bartending covers when the kid can’t even make chocolate milk?”

“He’s a bouncer this time. I guess Janovec wants an insider’s perspective. Their mark is a bartender, so he wants to know about any possible tells.”

“I’m going in for intel aren’t I?”

“Try not to flirt too hard this time. I don’t know if I’ll be so forgiving,” Gene grumbled.

“It was an act,” Babe said, for what felt like the hundredth time. Not that he blamed Gene, Babe had a hell of a lot of issues attached to Rob Carson and he knew Gene understood why that particular job for Speirs sucked.

Gene huffed. “It was your jackass asshole of an ex-boyfriend. I hope you respect how hard it was for me not to shoot an air bubble into his veins.”

“Trust me, princess, I would’ve strangled him first. He got it through his thick skull that there will be no more touching, ever. I made that point very fucking clear.” Babe smirked. “Hopefully all his fingers healed right. It would suck to be an assassin with shitty aim.”

“I hope they healed crooked so they’d have to break them again,” Gene said.

“ _First do no harm_ , my ass,” Babe said. 

“You ever getting tired of saying that?”

“You ever get tired of being a sarcastic smartass?”

“No.”

“Nope.”

“Good thing we’ve got each other.”

“No one else would work for either one of us.”

Gene affectionately tugged his hair and Babe laughed. This was why they worked. To outsiders, to those not Gene and Babe, they probably expected a big weekend of gifts, surprises, and sex. Babe knew all three of those things would happen but this, right here; this is what he always wanted. Calm and peaceful time with Gene was a rare gift. No pressure to put on a happy face, completely able to drop his guard. It’s why he so desperately loved this man, for all of his overworking, under sleeping, truly horrific moments of temper tantrums and sarcasm, he always knew what Babe needed. Babe sure as shit wasn’t perfect, neither was Gene. They just worked together. They got each other, especially when it came to the hard stuff, to the tough stuff, to the shit they didn’t want to talk about with anyone else. 

Babe tilted his head and pressed a quick kiss to Gene’s jaw. “Thanks for being you.”

“Likewise,” Gene murmured.

Babe turned back to the television and let himself be soothed by Gene’s warm body and the gentle fingers running through his hair. It wasn’t quite the best birthday ever. Pretty damn close though.


End file.
